24 Productive Things To Do In Your Me Time

Although it is nice to have a break from work, some people find that they are productive even when they are not at the office.

There are several ways to utilize your time productively during down times, to keep you motivated in getting things done.

1. Start a Side Hustle

Side hustles are amazing and I would recommend them to anyone. They’ve allowed me to make additional income, learn new skills and even make new friends.

There are many options for legitimate ways to make extra money.

2. Read a Book

I love reading books of all kinds, it’s one of my favorite things to do. I read novels, books about health, personal development books, memoirs, and business books equally.

Reading has allowed me to grow as a person and in my business. Additionally, reading a lot has helped me to grow as a writer.

3. Learn a New Skill

No matter what stage you are at in your life, you can always learn new skills! I started taking my blog more seriously and realized there were loads of new skills I needed to learn.

The real fun begins with these methods:

• Volunteer – While you’ll be hard-pressed to land a job using a skill you’re just starting to learn, often you can find volunteer opportunities that will let you learn within their organization. Learning in this environment is beneficial as it allows you to make a change in your community, looks great on a resume, and can even provide unique networking opportunities (but more on that later).
• Use a multimedia approach – Don’t be afraid to collect any and all resources pertaining to your new skill. In fact, reading books, articles, listening to podcasts, watching videos, and attending events centered around the skill are all great ways to develop the skill in a well-rounded manner. Of course, don’t forget to practice!
• Use your resources – If a friend or family member has your new desired skill, reach out! Chances are, they’d love a helping hand with their own projects and don’t mind teaching a few tricks along the way. A bonus to this method: Family and friends might give you a deeper or more unique insight into the skill, unlike a book, event, or course normally would.

4. Build your brand

In today’s digital age, with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, it seems that everyone has a brand.

What are some things people might say about you? Your personal brand is based on how others perceive you, both in person and online. You don’t have to have a website, blog, or business to have a brand, but here are some things to consider:

• Determine what you want to be known for: Do you want to be known as an expert in your field? Or do you simply want to show the world your baking chops? Either way, what you put out to the world online can and will be seen by many users, including the people in your company and community, so make it something great!
• Decide where you need to be: Though they seem to blend together on occasion, every social media platform serves a different purpose. Decide which purpose will help you build your personal brand and stick to it for best results.
  • If you’re showcasing career-centric blogs and trying to connect with other like-minded experts, communication-heavy LinkedIn and Twitter are for you.
  • If you’re showcasing your unmatched cat-training videos or cake decorating process, then the visual-heavy platforms Instagram and Facebook are where you should focus your energy.
• Keep things consistent: Consistency across your social media platforms is key to establishing your personal brand. By demonstrating your personality through consistent and relevant posts, users will be able to quickly identify your posts from the crowd.

5. Set some Goals to Improve Motivation

If you’re looking for something productive to do during your downtime, consider setting some goals. This is a great time to think about what you want in life and start working towards making it happen.

The goals you set for yourself don’t have to be related to your career. They can be places you’d like to live, vacations you’d like to take, and hobbies you’d like to try.

We often think of vacations, dream homes, and leisure activities as “dreams,” but writing them down with an action plan can turn them into highly-motivational goals.

6. Network

Staying connected can help boost your career, strengthen your skills, and introduce you to new hobbies and opportunities.

Networking doesn’t have to be exclusive to conferences and meetings. By introducing yourself to new people, you never know who you’ll meet and what opportunities they may provide.

7. Work Out

Many of us are aware of the importance of working out for our physical wellbeing, but a lot of us still don’t prioritize it. I think part of the problem is that people feel daunted by the prospect of working out, believing they have to go for runs or lift weights.

It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you do, as long as you’re moving your body. So if you like slower workouts like walking or yoga, that’s fine.

8. Listen to Podcasts

If you’re looking for new and productive things to do, listening to podcasts is a great option. Podcasts can help you learn about your industry, hobbies, and get you more involved in your community.

9. Start a Blog

If you have a skill for writing, or want to learn, then starting a blog is a great way to use those skills and be productive on your day off.

The reason is that it gives you an opportunity to use and improve a wanted ability and could even give you extra money, all while sitting at your computer.

The best thing about blogging is that you can write about anything you want. Whether you want to write about raising kids, fly-fishing, or the best restaurants in your city, it’s all up to you!

If you want to learn how to write, one of the best ways is to start your own blog. You can practice your writing skills, and also build a community of readers and other writers.

10. Revise Your Budget

As we move into an era where more and more services are provided as a subscription, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves signing up for a few new ones every few months. While the individual monthly charges of $15 or $25 may not seem like much, they can quickly add up – and you don’t want to be surprised by these expenses when you’re tight on cash.

Now is a good time to reevaluate the subscriptions you have and see if there are any you no longer want.

You need to be constantly checking in with your budget so that it remains accurate.

11. Try a New Hobby

I started my blog as a hobby, but it gradually turned into a small business. Unfortunately, it stopped being a source of stress relief at that point.

I started making time for other hobbies that weren’t bringing any extra stress, and found that it made such a huge difference! It allowed me to have some time to myself where I could just relax and not have to worry about anything.

12. Take a course

You can learn something new easily by signing up for sites like Coursera, Udemy, and Skillshare.

While many of these sites offer free trials, they also offer a wide variety of free or discounted courses, making it easy and affordable.

Taking a course is one of the most productive things you can do, as it can help you obtain resume-boosting certifications that can lead to advancement in your career.

13. Declutter Your Home

I started decluttering my home a few years ago, then downsized and had to get rid of most of my belongings or put them in storage.